Semik (Green Christmastide). History of the holiday. Trinity and Semik

Semik- the seventh Thursday after Easter was considered very big holiday. It marked a farewell to spring and a welcome to summer, a green earth with a central character - a birch tree.
The main components of the Semik-Trinity festivities were rituals associated with the cult of vegetation, maiden festivities, and commemoration of the dead.
The main object of worship these days was the birch tree, which has long been revered by Russian people. In the beliefs of the Russian people, she acted as a lucky tree, bringing good, protecting from evil, evil spirits, expelling diseases. Birch symbolized feminine, was considered the patroness of girls and young women. At the same time, the birch was perceived as a tree associated with the souls of the dead. On the days of Semik-Trinity, in some areas of Russia the main holiday trees were considered oak, maple or rowan. In addition to tree branches, the rituals of these days used various herbs and flowers: “Semik is on the branches, and Trinity is on the flowers.”

In Semik-Trinity, village and city streets, houses outside and inside were decorated with felled birch trees or birch branches, the floors in the houses were covered with a dense carpet of herbs, and bouquets of flowers were placed on the shrine. This custom, widespread throughout Russia, also entered church practice. On Trinity Day, felled birch trees were placed inside the church and the floor was covered with fragrant herbs, believers stood during the festive service with birch branches and bouquets of dawn flowers. The Church viewed flowers and greenery as a sign of life, and the very custom of bringing them to the temple as an expression of joy and gratitude to God.

The holiday of Semik - Trinity, perceived as a celebration of nature reborn after winter, fields with ears of corn, and gardens blooming, was also interpreted as a holiday of girls and women.
In many villages on the days of Semik-Trinity, purely maiden rites were performed, which scientists consider as remnants of ancient initiation rites, that is, rites signifying the readiness of girls for marriage.
Over the centuries, the ancient rituals of the Semitic week were gradually transferred to Trinity. The Trinity absorbed all the rituals of Semik. In others, ritual actions were divided into Semik and Trinity.
During this short period, villages and towns were literally transformed: houses and streets were decorated with cut birch trees, branches, and flowers. On Trinity Sunday, parishioners come to church for mass with bouquets of wild flowers, and the floor of the church is covered with fresh grass.
Those who adhered to ancient customs visited cemeteries in the morning, where they met the semik.
The fun began after lunch. Youth celebrations, games, round dances took place either in the forest, around a birch tree, or in the village, where a cut down and decorated tree was brought in with songs.
To celebrate Semik, a special house was chosen, where they brought various supplies for the feast, without slaughtering malt and hops; mash is boiled, mashed, fermented and drained during singing funny songs. At the very same sevenk, at noon, the celebration begins. In the middle of the yard there is a tree cut down with branches and leaves, under which there is a pot of water. The girls walk around the yard or sit, and the boys hold prepared food in their hands, others hold a bucket of beer on a stick. A more cheerful, lively girl approaches the tree, knocks over a pot of water, pulls the tree out of the ground and begins to sing. With singing:
Io, io, seven-three,
The cloud conspired with thunder:
Let's go, thunder, let's take a walk with you,
To that settlement, to Radyshevchyna,
Io, io, seven-three! -
they go to the forest where the feast is taking place.”

On the vast Russian territory, the Trinity rite with a young tree was, of course, performed differently; each province and even village had its own set and sequence of actions, its own obligatory song repertoire, despite the fact that the main elements of the rite were preserved. Such elements include: choosing and decorating a tree, eating together under it, weaving wreaths, and worshiping. cutting down a tree and then destroying it, round dance songs and games under it, fortune telling with wreaths thrown into the water.

The main object of worship these days was the birch tree, which has long been revered by Russian people. In the beliefs of the Russian people, she acted as a lucky tree, bringing goodness, protecting from evil, evil spirits, and driving away diseases. Birch symbolized the feminine principle and was considered the patroness of girls and young women. At the same time, the birch was perceived as a tree associated with the souls of the dead.
Trinity festivities included, as mentioned above, the commemoration of the dead. They were held on Trinity Saturday, preceding St. Trinity and considered by Russians the main spring memorial day, and on Spiritual Day. Remembering their ancestors in the days of the revival of nature, people hoped for their help, protection, and proved that there is no oblivion for the dead.

Semik opens the beginning summer period and sees off spring. This holiday is very similar to Maslenitsa, and people attach great importance to them. They are a continuation of each other, where Maslenitsa is the beginning, and Semik is the end, closing the circle of life.

Semik falls in the middle of the Green Christmastide, the celebration will take place on Thursday. This is the time when we commemorate the dead, those who did not die a natural death, suicides and unbaptized children. In 2017 it is celebrated on June 1.

This day dates back to pagan times. Therefore, it is not surprising that the celebration was overgrown with various mystical rituals and signs. And the traditions that have come down to us will help us celebrate the beginning of summer correctly, according to all ancient canons.

Folk traditions

The holiday personifies the failure of the symbiosis of paganism, Christianity and folk traditions. Although it does not have a place in the calendar of Orthodox holidays, this celebration is highly revered by Russian people and has many rituals that help improve life and reunite with nature.

Main tradition on the Thursday of Green Christmastide - this is a remembrance of the deceased who did not die a natural death. Although these actions contradict church principles, most believers do not miss the opportunity to honor the memory of the dead who lost their faith and were unable to regain it before death. The restless souls of the dead, just like everyone else, need our help; each of them is worthy of blessed memory and forgiveness of sins. Therefore this holiday is the only way to calm wandering spirits in the hope of eternal life.

The main symbol of Semik is the birch tree. On this day, it is customary to make wreaths from birch branches and decorate the house with them. Legend has it that they are able to ward off evil spirits and fight back negativity.

The weather on Thursday can show whether our deceased relatives and loved ones are living peacefully. If it is hot and windy, but there is no rain, it means the dead are unhappy.

Our ancestors believed that during the Green Christmastide, especially on Thursday, all evil spirits awaken. Therefore, going into the forest, fields and walking late into the night near bodies of water was considered dangerous. At this time, mermaids and goblin came out of their secluded places and inspected the property. It was believed that when they met a person, they could ask a riddle, and if they received the wrong answer, they could tickle the traveler to death. For this reason, Semik is greeted lush festivities and loud songs to scare away evil spirits.

Our ancestors opened the swimming season on this day. Solitude was considered a bad sign, so it was better for women and men to stay together. They even cook and clean the house together, at least together.

Traditions, signs and rituals on Thursday

The cult of vegetation is an important component of the festival. The main attribute is birch. The revered tree brings goodness, happiness, heals illnesses and protects from evil. It also symbolizes the feminine principle, patronizes the fair sex and helps the dead find peace. In addition to birch branches and leaves, people use various herbs and flowers.

In Semik it is customary to decorate the house both inside and outside. The branches of the sacred tree are placed in the corners of the apartment, and its bark or a completely cut down tree is placed in the brightest place. The floor is covered with a dense carpet of leaves and grass, and wildflowers are placed on the iconostasis. This custom occurs even in church practices. On the day of the Holy Trinity, inside the temple you can see how everything around is landscaped, and every parishioner holds birch branches in their hands.

The whole day should be a celebration, dancing, festivities, games and chants. Housewives thoroughly prepare for Semik and serve treats: the main dishes are scrambled eggs and pies. According to the rules, you should invite guests to your home or go on a visit; under no circumstances should you spend the end of spring at home alone. This is considered a bad omen: solitude on this day can bring disaster. It is believed that lost souls wander around houses and look for company, so they can take a person to themselves.

Most of the plants are ritually destroyed at the end of the day. Some of them are burned, another is set aside for fortune telling and floating on water, the rest is thrown onto trees. Young girls tell fortunes on this day for women's happiness. Needed with eyes closed throw the wreath that you wore on your head during the day into the river. If he stays afloat - expect a quick marriage, if he swims against the current - pregnancy, but if he drowned - then you can’t expect happiness this year.

The dried remains of vegetation served as a talisman against dark forces and natural phenomena. Many witches and fortune tellers use them in medicinal purposes. Also, dry greens are an important attribute in fortune telling and ensure fertility.

The main rite of the holiday took place as follows: a scarecrow of Kostroma was created from straw, which was present throughout the holiday. Round dances were performed around it, and then they were buried in the ground, burned at the stake or drowned in reservoirs. It was believed that this would bring fertility and make the coming summer warm.

Semik precedes Memorial Saturday, so pray for everyone who is not near you. God's mercy is endless, and perhaps with your prayers you will help every lost soul find peace and light. be happy and don't forget to press the buttons and

Semik (Green Christmastide, Mermaid (New Year, Vologda), Thursday, Tulpa) - holiday of the spring-summer calendar period; celebrated on the 7th Thursday after Easter, three days before Trinity; opens the ritual complex of the Trinity-Semitic festival. Distributed everywhere in Russia.

Semik is considered the pagan basis of the holiday falling on the seventh week of Easter. Presumably, in ancient times it was part of a single spring holiday cycle, which Maslenitsa began and was its end. The idea of the relationship between the two holidays is reflected in folklore: speech patterns and proverbs indicate special, even related, relationships between the mythologized images of Semik and Maslenitsa: “Honour and praise to her that she (Maslyana) invited Semik to visit” (Dal. T. 4. P. 170), “He called the honest Semik to the wide Maslenitsa to visit him in the yard” (Ritual poetry. 1989. No. 255), “Semik beats her (Maslenitsa) with his forehead, in only foot wraps, without paws... bows, calls to the plank tower, to the oak table, to the green wine" (Nekrylova A.F. 1989. P. 437), "Get ready, shall we not find, where is the honest Maslenitsa, Semikov's relatives, and niece" (Bernshtam T .A. 1993. P.52-53). Some ritual songs were performed only twice a year - on Maslenitsa and Semik; Among them is a song about a “non-spinner” who staged “Krosna - the ninth spring”, in which grass sprouts and chickens are born. Just like Maslenitsa, Semik represented a calendar period marking the borderline state of nature - the end of spring, the harbinger of summer. The Semitic ritual complex was permeated with transitional symbolism, and the main functional role in it was assigned to youth, social status which was also defined as transitional; similar condition for young people, especially girls, is comparable to the state of nature in late spring - nature blossoming, but not yet bearing fruit.

With the adoption of Christianity, Semik, like other pagan festivals, began to correspond to one of the church significant dates- Trinity; at the same time, the ancient traditions that determine the pagan nature of the holiday have been preserved. The minutes of the meeting of the Holy Governing Synod dated May 13, 1741 reported that “in many places of piety in Russia, instead of the goodness that befits Christians, various ugliness, outrages and superstitions are being carried out, and these are precisely the consequences of the universally solemn life-giving Christ's Resurrection On the day of the seventh week, on the Thursday before the week of the Descent of the Holy Spirit, birch trees are wreathed and tied, as if in hope, with a certain superstitious hope, and meanwhile men and wives hold feasts, races and dances, and especially on the great solemn day of the Descent of the Holy Spirit...” (Quoted from: Living Antiquity, 1890. Dept. 2. P. 34). In general, over time, the importance of Semik as one of the main spring-summer holidays has decreased, especially in comparison with Trinity. Nevertheless, the celebration of Semik was preserved, this is primarily due to the fact that in calendar rituals Semik and Trinity form a single festive cycle, within the framework of which a number of ritual actions fit, with Semik accounting for their initial phases, and Trinity for their final phases. Sometimes Semik acted as preparatory stage for the celebration of Trinity. Thus, in many metas it was on Semik that food was collected for a ritual meal, while the meal itself and the preparation of dishes for it took place on Trinity.

The Semik holiday was dedicated to the beginning of prosperity natural forces; it was observed during the period of greening of vegetation and ripening of rye; associated with him new stage agricultural work - sowing barley (in some places it was preferred to sow it either on Semik or on Trinity Saturday), flax, hemp, planting vegetables. Rituals dedicated to this time were aimed at stimulating the growth of the fruits of the earth and protecting them from adverse influences. The peasants performed various ritual actions with greenery, walking around fields, glorifying rye (see Trinity Birch, Curling Birches, Trinity Wreath, Trinity Greens, Driving a Spikelet), and turned to their ancestors for help (see Trinity Saturday). Inherent in agricultural traditions, the idea of the resurrection and death of the deity of vegetation was manifested in the rituals of “funeral” and “farewell” (All Saints Week). Important in agrarian magic, youth festivities in the fields with an indispensable ritual meal were attached, the main dish of which was eggs or scrambled eggs made “for the harvest.” The magical role of girls and pullets going to the crops is spoken of in Semitic songs (Trinity Birch). In general, the special significance of the female component in agricultural rituals is associated with the mythological idea of the feminine nature of the earth. A number of youth entertainment included circular games with motifs of sowing, growth, ripening (Poppy, Millet, Flax); the most popular songs at that time with a love-erotic theme in this ritual situation could be considered as a spell for the harvest.

Forming part of an agrarian-magical action, the ritual association of girls, and often pullets, during festive processions, festivities, rituals, swinging on swings, rolling eggs, and leading round dances also had some specific meaning, perhaps reflecting more ancient ideas. According to them, girls and pullets belonged to the same sex and age group, the social status of which was determined by their physiological state transition from girlhood to motherhood. The ritual was intended to demonstrate girlish strength, “the peak of girlhood,” and readiness for marriage and the birth of children. For the first time, teenage girls took part in it and achieved this age period, which characterized them as full members of the youth team. The initiatory character was manifested, for example, in Semitic games and round dances with spinning and weaving symbols. So, in Krasnoufimsky district. Perm province. individual figures of the maiden round dance were called weaving processes: winding, warping, removing the gut (the gut is the basis for the canvas, removed from the warping), putting on, weaving. Participation in it symbolized the young girl’s involvement in the world of the most important women’s activities, her mastery of them, which was the most important criterion qualitative characteristics any peasant woman. As a result, the name of the girls’ holiday was assigned to Semik: “Thursday before St. Trinity... is revered by girls as exclusively their holiday... “Men” are busy with work on this day” (Makarenko A.A. 1993. P. 110).

Distinctive feature Semik was a commemoration of the “hostages”, which included those who died a “not their own” death (sudden, violent). People's point the view, on the question of belonging to this category of the dead, coincided with the church’s, expressed in the church canon: these are the dead “who were covered by water and the battle of fire, but the coward who was embraced and killed the murderers and fell into the fire; suddenly delighted, scorched by lightning, frozen immediately and with every wound” (Zelenin D.K. 1916. P. 1), i.e. suicides, drunkards (who died from drunkenness), those who died without repentance, those cursed by their parents, executed criminals, sorcerers who dealt with evil spirits, as well as people of other faiths. By Christian tradition they were not given funeral services upon death in churches, were buried without a church blessing and were deprived of the usual commemoration. Mortgaged dead belonged to the category of dead whose energy potential was not spent during his lifetime. The danger posed by them was that this unused life force, “acting already from the realm of death, “takes the soul” from the living, like death itself,” “leads you to the grave” (Sedakova O.A. 1990. P. 55). In popular belief, hostages often became creatures of the demonic world: they either themselves possessed the properties of evil spirits, or, according to legends, were in the service of different representatives evil spirits. They were credited with the ability to control various natural elements: rain, thunder, hail, etc. A Perm sign says: “There is little warmth until Semik; when he washes the dead, then there is no longer any cold” (Zelenin D.K. 1916. P. 100).

Semik was the only day of the year when “comfort” came for the souls of the hostage dead.

In local traditions, the timing of Semik as a memorial holiday could vary within the framework of Semimitsk week - the seventh week after Easter. In Tula province. strangled and drowned people were commemorated on Tuesday; The holiday of remembrance was called here “suffocating commemoration.” In Zhizdrinsky district. Kaluga province. suicides and people of other faiths were allowed to be commemorated only on Trinity Saturday, known here as Spiritual Saturday; on this day, local peasants believed, “the greatest sinners rest from hellish torment” (AREM. F.7. Op. 1. No. 495). In some places, the shifting of the dates of Semik was determined by the distribution of days of the week between different communities (urban, rural) and classes for performing separate commemorations. For example, in the village of Kayskoye, Slobodsky district. Vyatka province on Thursday the peasants commemorated, and on Saturday the bourgeois, hence the name “bourgeois Semik”. The obligatory celebration of the Semitsk commemoration is spoken of in the folk legends of the St. Petersburg province: the commemoration of the local hostages, the lords, that was not properly noted resulted in a failure of the oat harvest, which was attributed to the “revenge of the lords.”

Semitic commemoration took place in the house, in the cemetery, in chapels, at the sites of battles and mass burials, and was usually accompanied by cheerful festivities; it had the character of individual and collective action. In Urzhumsky district. Vyatka province a seriously ill person made a vow in case of recovery to remember the hostages. To do this, on the eve of Semik, the “cherished” went from house to house and collected flour as alms, from which they prepared ritual dishes - pancakes and rolls. They were carried to the cemetery and laid out on mats among the graves. In Tula province, in commemoration of hanged and drowned relatives, pancakes, wine, and a red egg were brought to their graves, which were broken immediately for the repose of the soul. According to custom, some of the pancakes were left for the mermaid: “Little mermaid queen, red maiden, don’t ruin your darlings, don’t let them hang themselves!” And we bow to you." (Zelenin D.K. 1916. P. 102). In a number of places, in every peasant family, to commemorate drowned people, strangled people and people who died suddenly, eggs were painted on Semik (Irkutsk). On the Pechora River (Arkhangelsk), “an ancient custom was observed - on the seventh Thursday after Easter to remember drunken and hanged parents and relatives in the houses,” distributing alms to the needy (Zelenin D.K. 1916. P. 103). Commemorations took place at the site of ancient battles, where, according to legend, the remains of warriors were buried. In Rocks of Lodeynopolsky district. St. Petersburg province. in Semik they commemorated the “lords”, in whom they saw the Poles killed in troubled times; in their honor, in the grove near the chapel they cooked and ate jelly, hence the second name of the holiday - “jelly day”. In one of the Vyatka chapels the bones of the dead Cheremis (Mari) were kept; in Semik, with a gathering of people from the surrounding villages, a memorial service was performed over them; bones were used as remedy. In the city of Kotelnich, Vyatka province. local residents gathered over the grave of soldiers who “fell in the battle with Novgorod natives” (Zelenin D.K. 1916. P. 103). During the “universal memorial service” that took place over the grave, peasants threw eggs and money at it, and after the service they threw baked eggs at each other.

Ecumenical funeral services in Semik They also took place at places of mass burials: at common graves, in old “multi-grave” cemeteries, or where, according to local residents, they were located. During the commemoration they prayed: “Remember, Lord, your slain slaves, and those who died from an unknown death; you Yourself, Lord, weigh their names, those who lie here and Orthodox Christians everywhere” (Nizhny Novgorod, Zelenin D.K. 1916. P. 99), left eggs and money on the ground, and distributed alms to the poor. Here or nearby, after the funeral service, festive festivities were usually held, accompanied by “tomfoolery and debauchery,” fairs at which in Vyatka province. They sold mainly whistles and children's toys. The Vyatka celebration is characterized by playing whistling instruments - pipes, arquebuses, etc., and children rolling clay “balls” (balls).

The tradition of ritual commemoration at public burial sites has been preserved since the existence of the so-called wretched houses, known in Russia for a long time. Those who died from epidemics and those who died “unfortunate and sudden deaths- strangled, drowned, frozen, generally suicides and those who died overnight on the roads and in the fields” (Zelenin D.K. 1916. P. 60). Once a year, in Semik, people flocked here to perform the burial ceremony; for burial they brought coffins, clothes, shrouds, for commemoration canons, kutya, eggs, candles; the priests served a general memorial service and performed a religious procession. In the 17th century, the Tsar and the Patriarch were always present at Semitic burials in Moscow.

2. “Semik” - decorated Trinity birch tree (Vladimir), birch branch, anthropomorphic scarecrow with male characteristics, which was often based on a birch tree, mummer. A male "Semik" was usually accompanied by a female character - Semichikha. With Semik, young people or only girls usually walked around fields, villages, houses, he was a direct participant in youth ritual games; functionally, the stuffed “Semik” replaced the Trinity birch tree. In Vasilyevsky U. Nizhny Novgorod province stuffed animals of Semik, dressed in a red shirt, and Semichikha, in a sundress, were taken out into the field on Thursday morning, set up and a meal and dances were arranged near them; During the ritual action, its participants - boys and girls, took turns kissing the scarecrow and each other. At night Semik and Semichikha were left in the field, and when returning in the morning they asked: “How did you spend the night, young lady?” (Sokolova V.K. 1979. P. 205). Having crowned the heads of the stuffed animals with wreaths woven the day before (Trinity Wreath), they carried them to the river, ruined them and threw them into the water. In Buinsky u. Simbirsk province. "Semik" was portrayed by a costumed men's dress a girl chosen by lot from a circle of peers. She led a festive maiden procession around the village, designated by the formula “Trinity on the street, Semik in the back” (Maksimov S.V. 1993. P. 463). In Vyaznikovsky district. Vladimir province. A girl also dressed as “Semichikha” - the outfit consisted of a torn men’s shirt and a hump attached to her back, and “Semichikha” was a young teenage boy dressed in women's dress, with an old bucket and a stick in his hands. At the head of a gang of children and teenagers, Semik and Semichikha went around the houses of their fellow villagers, begging for flour, eggs, cereals, butter, sour cream, sugar, etc., saying: “Give me two eggs for Semichik” (Zemtsovsky I.I. 1973. P. 42 ). On the street they hit a bucket with a stick, drove away the curious with a broom, and sang under the windows of houses:

“Honest Semik, Laduzhny Semik,

He sent for wine, he had seven clothes on him,

All silk, semi-silk,

Semiku and Semichikha - an egg!

Semik sells bathhouse,

Semichikha does not give;

Cooked, cooked

I hid spoons in the dough!”

(Sokolova V.K. 1979. P.204).

Trinity Saturday

Trinity Saturday (ecumenical, parental, spiritual, klechal, Trinity Saturday, “Trinity parents”) - one of four all-Russian calendar days commemoration of the dead; included in the Semik-Trinity holiday cycle.

IN church calendar the day preceding Trinity is called the Ecumenical day, and also parent's Saturday. During the ecumenical requiem, which is served only 2 times a year - on Meat Saturday before Maslenitsa and on Saturday before Trinity, the church commemorates all Orthodox Christians who have died since centuries, regardless of how they passed away; Each parishioner mainly remembers only his deceased relatives - “parents”, as well as relatives who died a “unnatural death” (see Semik).

In the mythological ideas of the Slavs, the Semik-Trinity period referred to those calendar milestones when the ancestors temporarily left the “other world” and appeared on earth; their place of residence was fresh greenery - trees, herbs, flowers (see Trinity greenery). the main task alive - to meet and see them off properly, i.e. remember.

In one of the resolutions of the Council of the Stoglavy in 1557, which brought together representatives of the clergy from all over Russia, the Trinity commemoration was described as follows: “On Trinity Saturday, husbands and wives gather in villages and churchyards to mourn and lament over the coffins of the dead with a great cry. And when the buffoons learn to play all sorts of demonic games, and they, having stopped crying, will begin to jump and dance, and beat in the valley, and sing Sotonin songs, on the same pity deceivers and swindlers” (Sokolova V.K. 1979. P. 213).

In some places, Trinity Saturday was considered the largest and most revered day of remembrance of the dead. That is why, among the Russian Old Believer population of Transbaikalia, on the “Trinity Parents”, unlike other memorial holidays, an “all-night vigil” was served in a church or in a prayer house. To the service, peasants brought eggs, kutya, flat cakes, and donated money to the throne. Ritual dishes were certainly blessed. Thus, a burning candle was placed in the tuesok with kutya during the all-night prayer service (Bolonev F.F. 1975. P. 63).

Commemoration was interpreted as a ritual communication between living and deceased relatives, accompanied by certain actions. In addition to church, on this day they always went to the cemetery “to visit the graves and bow to deceased relatives and friends” (AREM. F.7. Op. 1. No. 495). They usually brought funeral food with them, the Trinity birch branches, flowers, wreaths, brooms. In Kaluga province. the cemetery was visited only by girls and young women; they got together and usually came after lunch.

The central ritual action in cemeteries in some places (Novgorod, Pskov, St. Petersburg, Tula) was “plowing the graves,” or “dressing the graves.” Those who came to the cemetery swept the graves of their relatives with birch twigs, Trinity flowers or brooms (Petersburg, Novgorod, South Russian), after which the twigs and, sometimes flowers, “poked” into the grave ground. Peasants of the Pskov province. they believed that in this way they “open the eyes of the dead”, “clear the eyes of their parents”; in the Novgorod and southern Russian provinces they plowed the graves with brooms in order to “soar the parents” (Nekrylova A.F. 1989. P. 479; Sokolova V.K. 1979. P. 227; Zelenin D.K. 1991. P. 357) ; at the same time they believed that “their darlings will rejoice.” Plowing in St. Petersburg province. was accompanied by loud lamentations for the dead: “Several hundred women and girls are howling, crying, screaming, sobbing. This continues for several hours to the point where those who are wailing often faint.” (Ritual poetry. 1989. No. 388). Before leaving, the grave is “smelled” to close the eyes of the parents. In addition to branches and flowers, wreaths were placed on the grave mound (see Trinity Wreath).

Everywhere in the cemetery a ritual meal was held, the main dishes of which were kutia, pancakes, eggs, painted with fresh green birch leaves. They laid a tablecloth on the grave and laid out food; for the “parents,” eggs were crumbled at the crosshairs or at the foot of the cross, grain and kutya were sprinkled; This was often done with a cross-shaped movement of the hand. The deceased was invited to a meal with the words: “Come (they called the name) and eat” (Pskov), “Come out and help yourself” (Kostroma). According to the ideas of Kostroma residents, “when the living give food to the dead,” they think that “thereby they cleanse their souls” (AREM. F. 10. Op. 1. No. 72). In a number of places, the meal held at the graves was more plentiful and was often accompanied by the drinking of intoxicating drinks.

Among Pskov peasants there was a custom to hold onto the grave cross with your hands so that “your parents would feel that you were at the grave.” (AREM. F.10. Op.1. D. No. 90. L. 92); According to local beliefs, the dead come out of their graves on this day, also holding the cross. In the Kostroma region. the custom of “calling parents” (calling out to them) was widespread.

Visiting the graves of relatives often ended with a cheerful celebration, which was held right here in the cemetery.

The commemoration continued in the settlement - the peasants were waiting for their “parents” to visit. For this purpose, birch trees were installed near houses - “A cuckoo will fly to a birch tree, a cuckoo is almost the same as its parents,” the Pskov residents said. A ladle of water was placed under the birch tree so that “the parents could wash themselves.” The way to the house was also indicated to the ancestors by the birch trees that stood on both sides of the porch. “Parents” could enter the house using a towel, especially for this purpose hung on a wall or window (Pskov).

Funeral meals were held in the houses. So, among the Semeyskie - Russian Old Believers of Transbaikalia, after the all-night service, the whole family gathered at the table, a prayer was read, and then everyone had to eat three spoons of kutya, consecrated in the church.

The confessional questions mention the custom of heating a bathhouse for the dead on Trinity: “In Holy Saturday and when we commemorate the fifties, we did not order baths for those who slept" ( Slavic mythology. 1995. P. 375). The peasants believed that on this day it was necessary to light the bathhouse, and after washing all family members in it, leave water and a broom for the “parents.”

Distribution of alms to the needy, carried out to commemorate the dead, in parenting days, in particular on Trinity Saturday, received a special design. Prosperous peasants of Zhizdrinsky district. Kaluga province. for a long time complied with old custom, according to which on Trinity Saturday they slaughtered a ram or a one-year-old pig, fed poor peasants and made lunch for their neighbors.

On Trinity Saturday, the Semeis of Transbaikalia “made drawings.” Each peasant chose a plot in the forest for future arable land and marked it by sanding the bark of the trees. It was believed that the forest “drawn” on the day of remembrance of the ancestors would be under their protection.

Today, the seventh Thursday after Happy Easter Christova, May 24, 2018 is celebrated folk holiday Semik. It is dedicated to the obstinate pagan goddess Lela, whose soul, according to legend, lives in a birch tree. Therefore, birch branches are the main attribute of the holiday that falls on the peak of the Green Christmastide. On this day you can lift the veil of secrecy about the future, and also engage in light divination. What signs Semik is associated with, as well as what traditions have survived to our time - we will analyze in new material.

The history of the Semik holiday, which fell on May 24, 2018

Before the advent of Christianity in Rus', Semik was considered one of the main holidays, which was customarily celebrated on a grand scale and in large numbers. folk festivals. They always prepared for it in advance, cleaned the house, prepared a list of the deceased to remember them. Before this event, it was also customary to clean up the graves of loved ones, putting them in order. Our ancestors believed that by bringing flowers, food and drinks to the cemetery, they would be able to pass all this on to their loved ones in the other world. To this day, this tradition has been preserved, and on Semik they bring rolls, candies and sweets to churches for the funeral table, and also order a memorial service to remember all those who have passed away.

Theme of the Semik holiday and features of commemoration

In 2018 pagan holiday Semik falls on May 24th. On this day it is allowed to commemorate the “hostage dead”, that is, those people who left this world not by their own death. These include suicides, murdered, tortured, as well as all those who died under unclear circumstances. The category of commemoration also includes sorcerers, magicians and witches who were unable to find peace after life. Our ancestors believed that it was in Semik that one could help the soul free itself and find peace, even if, due to its earthly deeds, it was stuck in a borderline state between worlds. If this is not done, then the restless soul may become hostage to evil spirits, which harm people and can bring a curse on the entire subsequent generation.

Customs and traditions of Semik Day, celebrated on May 24, 2018

In ancient times, with the onset of the Semik holiday, the time came for girls to become girls. They were accepted with honor into the more senior ranks, had a bright ribbon braided into their braids, which was considered a symbol of readiness to get married, and were also taught to tell fortunes and bewitch their betrothed. In addition to this, there were other customs, namely:

Do round dances around the birches and ask the goddess Lelya to send feminine beauty and protect from enemies and the attacks of evil spirits;
Decorate birch branches with wreaths of flowers or ribbons to get caught good groom or the husband loved deeply;
Write notes with requests to the goddess Lela, which were buried under the roots of birch trees;
Take a bath using birch decoction and a broom to whole year diseases were avoided, and feminine charm increased every day.

It was also customary to tell fortunes about the betrothed or the near future, using birch wreaths. The girls wove a wreath for themselves, made a wish and released it into the pond. If a wreath washed ashore, then the girl had to get married that year. If the wreath floats to the opposite shore, the groom will take her far from her relatives. If the wreath sank, the time to get married has not yet come.

How to properly celebrate Semik and what not to do on this day?

In Rus', Semik was considered Easter for the dead. It was on this day that souls who were unable to find long-awaited peace were given the opportunity to atone for their sins and join the Kingdom of Heaven. To help their loved ones who did not die a natural death, they left a memorial in the cemetery and decorated the grave with birch branches. Visiting the cemetery in Semik is very important, so it is better not to neglect this tradition.

To ensure that the whole year was successful and evil spirits did not try to harm the family, it was forbidden to clean up the house, as well as to do menial work in the fields. The goddess Lelya could have been punished for such disrespect for her holiday, and in order to avoid troubles in the future, many people still refuse hard work on this day.

In order for money to be available throughout the year, on the Semik holiday it was necessary to give alms to the suffering or to those who especially needed help. It is believed that any good deed done on this day will return to the person tenfold.

In contact with

Seventh Thursday after Easter

1. Holiday three days before Trinity. It opened the complex of Trinity festivities, marked the end of spring and the harbinger of summer. With the adoption of Christianity, the pagan Semik was dedicated to the Trinity, but continued the ancient rituals and beliefs.
2. A decorated Trinity birch tree or an anthropomorphic scarecrow, with which young people went around houses in the seventh week.

Semik (Green Christmastide)

Semik (Green Christmastide, Rusalka (Nov., Vologda), Chetvertok, Tulpa) - a holiday of the spring-summer calendar period; celebrated on the 7th Thursday after Easter, three days before Trinity; opens the ritual complex of the Trinity-Semitic festival. Distributed everywhere in Russia.

Semik is considered the pagan basis of the holiday that falls on the seventh week of Easter. Presumably, in ancient times it was part of a single spring holiday cycle, which Maslenitsa began and was its end. The idea of the relationship between the two holidays is reflected in folklore: speech patterns and proverbs indicate special, even related, relationships between the mythologized images of Semik and Maslenitsa: “Honor and praise to her that she (Maslyana) invited Semik to visit” (Dal. T. 4. P. 170), “Honest Semik called the wide Maslenitsa to visit him in the yard” (Ritual poetry. 1989. No. 255), “Semik beats her (Maslenitsa) with his forehead, in only foot wraps, without paws... bows, calls to the plank tower, to the oak table, to the green wine" (Nekrylova A.F. 1989. P. 437), "Get ready, shall we not find, where is the honest Maslenitsa, Semikov's relatives, and niece" (Bernshtam T .A. 1993. P.52-53). Some ritual songs were performed only twice a year - on Maslenitsa and Semik; Among them is a song about a “slobber” who staged “Krosna - the ninth spring”, in which grass sprouts and chickens are born. Just like Maslenitsa, Semik represented a calendar period marking the borderline state of nature - the end of spring, the harbinger of summer. The Semitic ritual complex was permeated with transitional symbolism, and the main functional role in it was assigned to youth, whose social status was also defined as transitional; This state of youth, especially girls, is comparable to the state of nature in late spring - nature blossoming, but not yet bearing fruit.

With the adoption of Christianity, Semik, like other pagan festivals, began to correspond to one of the significant church dates - Trinity; at the same time, the ancient traditions that determine the pagan nature of the holiday have been preserved.

The minutes of the meeting of the Holy Governing Synod dated May 13, 1741 reported that “in many pious Russian places, instead of the goodness that befits Christians, various kinds of outrages, outrages and superstitions are being carried out, and these are precisely those that follow from the universally solemn life-giving Resurrection of Christ on the day of the seventh weeks in Thursday, before the week of the Descent of the Holy Spirit, they curl birch trees with wreaths and tie them, as expected, with some kind of superstitious hope, and meanwhile men and women hold feasts, races and dances, and especially on the great solemn day of the Descent of the Holy Spirit...” (Quoted from : Living Antiquity, 1890. Dept. 2. P. 34). In general, over time, the importance of Semik as one of the main spring-summer holidays has decreased, especially in comparison with Trinity. Nevertheless, the celebration of Semik was preserved, this is primarily due to the fact that in calendar rituals Semik and Trinity form a single festive cycle, within the framework of which a number of ritual actions fit, with Semik accounting for their initial phases, and Trinity for their final phases. Sometimes Semik acted as a preparatory stage for the celebration of Trinity. Thus, in many metas it was on Semik that food was collected for a ritual meal, while the meal itself and the preparation of dishes for it took place on Trinity.

The Semik holiday was dedicated to the beginning of the flowering of natural forces; it was observed during the period of greening of vegetation and ripening of rye; A new stage of agricultural work was associated with it - sowing barley (in some places it was preferred to sow it either on Semik or on Trinity Saturday), flax, hemp, and planting vegetables. Rituals dedicated to this time were aimed at stimulating the growth of the fruits of the earth and protecting them from adverse influences. The peasants performed various ritual actions with greenery, walking around fields, glorifying rye (see Trinity Birch, Curling Birches, Trinity Wreath, Trinity Greens, Driving a Spikelet), and turned to their ancestors for help (see Trinity Saturday). Inherent in agricultural traditions, the idea of the resurrection and death of the deity of vegetation was manifested in the rituals of “funeral” and “farewell” (All Saints Week). In agrarian magic, great importance was attached to the celebrations of young people in the fields with an indispensable ritual meal, the main dish of which was eggs or scrambled eggs made “for the harvest.” The magical role of girls and pullets going to the crops is spoken of in Semitic songs (Trinity Birch). In general, the special significance of the female component in agricultural rituals is associated with the mythological idea of the feminine nature of the earth. A number of youth entertainment included circular games with motifs of sowing, growth, ripening (Poppy, Millet, Flax); the most popular songs at that time with a love-erotic theme in this ritual situation could be considered as a spell for the harvest.

Forming part of an agrarian-magical action, the ritual association of girls, and often pullets, during festive processions, festivities, rituals, swinging on swings, rolling eggs, and leading round dances also had some specific meaning, perhaps reflecting more ancient ideas. According to them, girls and young women belonged to the same sex and age group, the social status of which was determined by their physiological state of transition from girlhood to motherhood. The ritual was intended to demonstrate girlish strength, “the peak of girlhood,” and readiness for marriage and the birth of children. For the first time, teenage girls who had reached this age took part in it, which characterized them as full members of the youth team. The initiatory character was manifested, for example, in Semitic games and round dances with spinning and weaving symbols. So, in Krasnoufimsky district. Perm province. individual figures of the maiden round dance were called weaving processes: winding, warping, removing the gut (the gut is the basis for the canvas, removed from the warping), putting on, weaving. Participation in it symbolized the young girl’s involvement in the world of the most important women’s occupations, her mastery of them, which was the most important criterion for the qualitative characteristics of any peasant woman. As a result, the name of the girls’ holiday was assigned to Semik: “The Thursday before the day of the Holy Trinity... is revered by girls as exclusively their holiday... “Men” are busy with work on this day” (Makarenko A.A. 1993. P. 110).

A distinctive feature of Semik was the commemoration of “hostages”, which included those who died a “not their own” death (sudden, violent). The popular point of view, on the issue of belonging to this category of the dead, coincided with the church, expressed in the church canon: these are the dead “who were covered by water and the battle of fire, but who were embraced by cowards and killed by murderers, and caught in fire; suddenly delighted, scorched by lightning , frozen immediately and with every wound" (Zelenin D.K. 1916. P. 1), i.e. suicides, drunkards (who died from drunkenness), those who died without repentance, those cursed by their parents, executed criminals, sorcerers who dealt with evil spirits, as well as people of other faiths. According to Christian tradition, they were not buried in churches upon death, buried without a church blessing and deprived of the usual commemoration. Mortgaged dead belonged to the category of the dead whose energy potential was not used up during life. The danger emanating from them was that this unused life force, “acting already from the area of death, “takes the soul” from the living, like death itself,” “leads it to the grave” (Sedakova O.A. 1990. P. 55). In popular belief, hostages often became creatures of the demonic world: they either themselves possessed the properties of evil spirits, or, according to legends, were in the service of various representatives of evil spirits. They were credited with the ability to control various natural elements: rain, thunder, hail, etc. A Perm sign says: “There is little warmth until Semik; when the dead are washed, then there is no cold” (Zelenin D.K. 1916. P. 100).

Semik was the only day of the year when “comfort” came for the souls of the hostage-laden dead.

Semitic commemoration took place in the house, in the cemetery, in chapels, at the sites of battles and mass burials, and was usually accompanied by cheerful festivities; it had the character of individual and collective action. In Urzhumsky district. Vyatka province a seriously ill person made a vow in case of recovery to remember the hostages. To do this, on the eve of Semik, the “coveted” went from house to house and collected flour as alms, from which they prepared ritual dishes - pancakes and rolls. They were carried to the cemetery and laid out on mats among the graves. In Tula province, in commemoration of hanged and drowned relatives, pancakes, wine, and a red egg were brought to their graves, which were broken immediately for the repose of the soul. According to custom, some of the pancakes were left for the mermaid: “Little mermaid queen, red maiden, don’t ruin your darlings, don’t let them hang themselves! And we bow to you.” (Zelenin D.K. 1916. P. 102). In a number of places, in every peasant family, to commemorate drowned people, strangled people and people who died suddenly, eggs were painted on Semik (Irkutsk). On the Pechora River (Arkhangelsk) “an ancient custom was observed - on the seventh Thursday after Easter to remember drunken and hanged parents and relatives in the houses”, distributing alms to the needy (Zelenin D.K. 1916. P. 103). Commemorations took place at the site of ancient battles, where, according to legend, the remains of warriors were buried. In Rocks of Lodeynopolsky district. St. Petersburg province. in Semik they commemorated the “lords”, in whom they saw the Poles killed in troubled times; in their honor, in the grove near the chapel, they cooked and ate jelly, hence the second name of the holiday - “jelly day”. In one of the Vyatka chapels the bones of the dead Cheremis (Mari) were kept; in Semik, with a gathering of people from the surrounding villages, a memorial service was performed over them; bones were used as a medicine. In the city of Kotelnich, Vyatka province. local residents gathered over the grave of soldiers who “fell in the battle with Novgorod natives” (Zelenin D.K. 1916. P. 103). During the “universal memorial service” that took place over the grave, peasants threw eggs and money on it, and after the service they threw baked eggs at each other.

Ecumenical funeral services in Semik also took place at places of mass burials: at common graves, in old “multi-grave” cemeteries, or where, according to local residents, they were located. During the commemoration they prayed: “Remember, Lord, your slain slaves, and those who died from an unknown death; you Yourself, Lord, weigh their names, those who lie here and Orthodox Christians everywhere” (Nizhny Novgorod, Zelenin D.K. 1916. P. 99), left eggs and money on the ground, and distributed alms to the poor. Here or nearby, after the funeral service, festive festivities were usually held, accompanied by “tomfoolery and debauchery,” fairs at which in Vyatka province. They sold mainly whistles and children's toys. The Vyatka celebration is characterized by playing whistling instruments - pipes, arquebuses, etc., and children rolling clay “balls” (balls).

The tradition of ritual commemoration at public burial sites has been preserved since the existence of the so-called wretched houses, known in Russia for a long time. They carried those who died from epidemics and those who died “unfortunate and sudden deaths - strangled, drowned, frozen, generally suicides and those who died overnight on the roads and in the fields” (Zelenin D.K. 1916. P. 60). Once a year, in Semik, people flocked here to perform the burial ceremony; for burial they brought coffins, clothes, shrouds, for commemoration canons, kutya, eggs, candles; the priests served a general memorial service and performed a religious procession. In the 17th century, the Tsar and the Patriarch were always present at Semitic burials in Moscow.

2. “Semik” - a decorated Trinity birch tree (Vladimir), a birch branch, an anthropomorphic effigy with male characteristics, which was often based on a birch tree, a mummer. The male "Semik" was usually accompanied by a female character - Semichikha. With Semik, young people or only girls usually walked around fields, villages, houses, he was a direct participant in youth ritual games; functionally, the stuffed "Semik" replaced the Trinity birch tree. In Vasilyevsky U. Nizhny Novgorod province stuffed animals of Semik, dressed in a red shirt, and Semichikha, in a sundress, were taken out into the field on Thursday morning, set up and a meal and dances were arranged near them; During the ritual action, its participants - boys and girls, took turns kissing the scarecrow and each other. At night Semik and Semichikha were left in the field, and when returning in the morning they asked: “How did you spend the night, young lady?” (Sokolova V.K. 1979. P. 205). Having crowned the heads of the stuffed animals with wreaths woven the day before (Trinity Wreath), they carried them to the river, ruined them and threw them into the water. In Buinsky u. Simbirsk province. “Semik” was portrayed by a girl dressed in a man’s dress, chosen by lot from a circle of peers. She led a festive maiden procession around the village, designated by the formula “Trinity on the street, Semik in the back” (Maksimov S.V. 1993. P. 463). In Vyaznikovsky district. Vladimir province. A girl also dressed as “Semikhoy” - the outfit consisted of a torn men’s shirt and a hump attached to her back, and “Semichikha” was a young teenage boy dressed in a woman’s dress, with an old bucket and a stick in his hands. At the head of a gang of children and teenagers, Semik and Semichikha went around the houses of their fellow villagers, begging for flour, eggs, cereals, butter, sour cream, sugar, etc., saying: “Give me two eggs for Semichik” (Zemtsovsky I.I. 1973. P. 42 ). On the street they hit a bucket with a stick, drove away the curious with a broom, and sang under the windows of houses:
"Honest Semik, Laduzhny Semik,
He sent for wine, he had seven clothes on him,
All silk, semi-silk,
Semiku and Semichikha - an egg!
Semik sells bathhouse,
Semichikha does not give;
Cooked, cooked
I hid spoons in the dough!”
(Sokolova V.K. 1979. P.204).

material prepared
Zimina Tatyana Alexandrovna